NEWSLETTER #165 JANUARY
2018“Happy New Year & Welcome to
Resolution - Solution”

Classmates,

Here we go with a new day, week, month
and year. This EARLY PART OF A NEW YEAR is always identified as “OUR
TIME” to make some resolutions for how we are going to “change our
lives” into something different, whatever we believe will make us
better. The question that always arises is: by who’s standards and
what does “better really mean?” Hence the title for January’s Keep
Your Fork...’64 Newsletter: “HAPPY NEW YEAR & WELCOME TO
RESOLUTION - SOLUTION”

During the next few paragraphs you
will learn the techniques for assisting you in having solutions to
conquer your resolutions. So, with that being said, let’s get our
attitudes in line, for success with our resolutions for 2018... HAPPY
NEW YEAR!

“Some individuals take their resolutions seriously. Some bid them
farewell just after the clock strikes twelve. Some call it a Second
Chance to Dream with Eyes Open. New Year Resolution - no one can deny
having made some, correct?

People change with time, so do their
aspirations. Seriously taken, a Happy New Year Resolution is an
opportunity to gauge our goals. For the adventurous souls, it is the
opportunity to tickle a funny bone or to try something bold.

I would like to present to you, some
amazing New Year Resolutions ideas for 2018. Some are simple, some are
exotic but, each is unique in its own way...there is surely one that
will appeal to you!

Look Where You Stand, made loads of
resolutions last New Year’s Eve? Accessed how far you have stood by
them? If not, it is time you did. Here are three examples, with some
thought to go along with the resolution.

• Quit an Addiction - It will
not take you anywhere good. If it does you no good, why stick to it?
If needed, seek help of support groups or professionals. If you have
the will, you shall find the way. • Back to School - Learning has
no age limit. Pick up where you left off. • Fit in Fitness - Secure a
future with fewer trips to the doctor know where you stand with your
health. Select a regime you can stick to. A group activity may add the
element of fun to the routine. Lose some flab. But don’t set any
strict target, for then the chances are you may get demotivated and
quit.

New Year Resolutions - A resolution is
an opportunity to gauge your goals. Here are a few that might appeal
to you:

• Soak up New Skills - Learning
something new and interesting is always fun and a valued addition.• Healthy Hogging - Think
before you put any morsel in your mouth. • Lose the Loan - Pay off any
debt you may have and feel light at heart.• Sack Stress - This sounds
easier than it actually is, and there is no magic tip...you have to
find your own heaven.• Contribute for a Cause -
Giving back to the society is the least we can do to make the world a
better place to live in.• Treasure your Treasures -
Splurge is fun, but saving should be the way of living. Plan with your
future in mind. Once in a while have a blissful indulgence. • Liven up Your Lifestyle -
Professional growth is okay, but your personal life requires attention
too...strike up a balance.• Organize - This is the key to
make life easy, manage time and live stress free...make a proper
“To-Do List,” and you are on your way.• Fun With Family - Bonding
with the family will add a treasure trove of memories.• Wowed By Wanderlust - If new
places interest you, plan to reach out to them. • Adopt a Pet - The devotion,
love and loyalty of a pet can never be matched. • Wreck a Record - This does
not necessarily have to be a world record. It could be your own set of
standards.• Relive your childhood - Bring
back the simplicity in life, just be carefree.• Spice up the Mundane - Bring
some sizzle to your daily life.• Unleash the Angel in You -
Nothing feels better than seeing a smile on someone.• Get Struck by Cupid - Falling
in love is the most beautiful thing to happen in a New Year.• Snooze away to Slumber-Land -
Catch up on the sleep you lost and see a beautiful glow back on you
face. • Pep up your habitat -
Beautifying where you live is the easiest way to beautify your life
with a feel good factor.• De-clutter the accumulated
junk - Life will be more organized with the unnecessary extras gone.• Get a Gadget - Has there been
a gadget you have been longing for? • Step up or Step Down Social
Media Activity - If you have been out of touch with your pals and
peers, social media would help you get back in your grove.• Tame the Mane - A brand new
makeover will be a great way to discover a new you.• From Vocation to Profession -
When your hobby becomes your profession it not only brings in money
but, also makes working a fun experience.• Speak Your Mind - Chuck the
niceties. It is mandatory to say No at times. However remember,
politeness pays too. • Get Pictured at the Wonders
of the World - This is for the travel bugs. • Endear a Diary - Letter
writing is a dead art. But expressing feelings is not. • Positive approach to life -
Vow to always view the glass to be half full. This will help you solve
any obstacle you may face in life.• Go for a Blind Date - For the
adventurous souls, a blind date may be fun. • Wake up to World News - Stay
informed.• Waste Not, Want Not - If
there is something you don’t want -food, extra medicine, etc. - hand
it down to those who do.• Terminate the Tantrums -
Being opinionated is okay. But having your fuse blown off at the
slightest pretext is not.• Remember the Important Dates:
Remembering birthdays, anniversaries etc. will make your loved ones
feel special, wanted and cared for. If your memory doesn’t help, take
the help of technology!• Enrich your vocabulary -
Communication is vital in any sphere of life – enrich your vocabulary
to master the art of reaching out.• Overcome a fear or mental
block - This will make you feel liberated - it will free the shackles
of your mind.• Be sincere about punctuality
and commitments - This is a resolution, if followed, would help you
succeed in life and be respected too.”

If you have taken the time to look
over the approximate #40 Resolutions and Solutions above, YOU are well
on your way to making yourself a “Better” individual - in your own
ability to be successful at your own - “Resolution/Solution.”

• The “Connections And
Re-connections” (C/R) Section: Connected or Reconnected with a
Classmate or just want to contact a Classmate, but don’t have any
contact information? Let me know (see above). Still continues to grow,
over #19 looking for information during December...many wanting to
know addresses, so they could send out their Christmas Cards.

• “Who Said That - Movie
Quote Addition” (WST - MQA): this site is OUTSTANDING! Many of
you are continuing to send in the correct answers; just a little to
late. The first week of a new month is the time to strike...get your
answer(s) to me - ASAP! We had #19 Classmates challenging to be first
last month.

• December’s Quote: “Igor,
would you give me a hand with the bags?” Certainly. You take the
blonde and I’ll take the one in the turban.”

• December’s Answer: “YOUNG
FRANKENSTEIN” & THE ACTORS ARE GENE WILDER & MARTY FEILDMAN :• The Winner For The Year Is
“GARY ROCKLAGE”

The Final Standings Are As
Follows:

1. William (Bill) Stevens -
WON the first - JUNE 2. Renee’ (Leroy) Otte - WON
the second - JULY 3. William (Bill) Stevens -
WON the third - AUGUST 4. Gary Rocklage - WON the
fourth - SEPTEMBER 5. Gary Rocklage - WON the
fifth - OCTOBER 6. Gary Rocklage - WON the
sixth - NOVEMBER 7. Gary Rocklage - WON the
seventh - DECEMBER

* William (Bill)
Stevens was in first with the correct Title Name, but did not get the
name(s) of the Actors Correct. Time In: 8:47 AM, 4 December

* Gary Rocklage was
in first with the Correct Title Name and Correct Actor(s) Names Time
In: 4:49 AM, 5 December

We will continue with the “Movie
Quote...Who Said That Addition?” in February 2018 (we will be taking a
one month break). THANK YOU ALL WHO PLAYED IN 2017!

• “The Bucket List (B/L)
Challenge:” The B/L - needs to stay alive & healthy...”as the
Bucket List Goes, So We Go.” I know that many of the classmates have
had some GREAT experiences... how about sharing? I, along with other
Classmates, need your support!

“Men Are Just Happier People”
#8Contributed by Ted Dumke(Ladies if you have any problems with
this one, refer to Ted!)

What do you expect from such simple
creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another
snack. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a
water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park.

Car mechanics tell you the truth. The
world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station
restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop
and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Wrinkles add
character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare
at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut,
blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone
conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about
tanks.

A five-day vacation requires only one
suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for
the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite
you, he or she can still be your friend. Your underwear is $8.95 for
a three-pack. Two pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost
never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles
in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to
shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes - one color for all seasons. You can
wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can 'do' your nails
with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a
mustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December
24 in 25 minutes. No wonder men are happier.

NICKNAMES:

If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for
lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.

If Mike, Dave and John go out, they
will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman.

EATING OUT:

When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and
John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None
of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they
want change back.When the girls get their bill, out
come the pocket calculators.

MONEY:

A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he
needs.A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that
she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS:

A man has six items in his bathroom:
toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a
towel.

The average number of items in the
typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify
more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS:

A woman has the last word in any
argument.Anything a man says after that is the
beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE:

A woman worries about the future until
she gets a husband.A man never worries about the future
until he gets a wife.

MARRIAGE:

A woman marries a man expecting he
will change, but he doesn't.A man marries a woman expecting that
she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP:

A woman will dress up to go shopping,
water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and
get the mail.A man will dress up for weddings and
funerals.

NATURAL:

Men wake up as good-looking as they
went to bed.Women somehow deteriorate during the
night.

OFFSPRING:

Ah, children. A woman knows all about
her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best
friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.A man is vaguely aware of some short
people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A married man
should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering
the same thing!

SO, send this to the women who has a
sense of humor...and to the men who will enjoy reading.

*”MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE LOVE TO SHARE,
HEALTH TO SPAREAND FRIENDS THAT CARE.”

“Physics Is A State Of Mind”
#9Contributed by Gary Rocklage(Are we there already?)

Physics is a state of mind, but the
mind is a terrible thing to waste. Today's riddle for seniors...here
is the situation:You are on a horse, galloping at a
constant speed.On your right side is a sharp
drop-off.On your left side is an elephant
traveling at the same speed as you.Directly in front of you is a
galloping kangaroo and your horse is unable to overtake it.Behind you is a lion running at the
same speed as you and the kangaroo.What must you do to get out of this
highly dangerous situation?Answer below:

“Get off the merry-go-round and go
home; You've had enough excitement for one day!”

“The
Dancing Traffic Light” #10 Contributed by Maggie (Tubia)
Horwitz(Try this the next time you are at a
pedestrian stop light)

A is for apple, and B is for boat,
That used to be right, but now it won't float! Age before beauty is
what we once said. But let's be a bit more realistic instead. Now The
Alphabet: A's for arthritis; B's the bad back,
C's the chest pains,perhaps car-di-ac? D is for dental decay and decline, E
is for eyesight, can't read that top line! F is for farting and fluid
retention, G is for gut droop, which I'd rather not mention. H high blood pressure--I'd rather it
low; I for incisions with scars you can show.J is for joints, out of socket, won't
mend, K is for knees that crack when they bend.L's for libido, what happened to sex?
M is for memory, I forget what comes next.N is neuralgia, in nerves way down
low; O is for osteo, bones that don't grow! P for prescriptions, I have quite a
few, just give me a pill and I'll be good as new!Q is for queasy, is it fatal or flu? R
is for reflux, one meal turns to two. S is for sleepless nights, counting my
fears, T is for Tinnitus; bells in my ears!U is for urinary; troubles with flow;
V for vertigo, that's 'dizzy,' you know. W for worry, now what's going 'round?
X is for X-ray, and what might be found. Y for another year I'm left
here behind, Z is for zest I still have - in my mind! I've survived all the symptoms, my
body's deployed, and I'm keeping twenty-six doctors fully employed! HAVE A GREAT DAY!

WASHINGTON — Today the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
announced that the White House VA Hotline, first launched in June as
part of President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to reforming VA, is now
fully staffed with live agents working to serve Veterans 24-hours a
day, 365 days a year.

The hotline, which became 24-hour
operational in mid-October, is now staffed by a team consisting of 90
percent Veterans or employees who have a Veteran family member, and is
in response to Veterans’ requests to talk to agents who could relate
to their experiences.

“The White House VA Hotline provides
our nation’s Veterans with a direct, dedicated contact line that
allows them to interact with highly trained, live agents to answer
their needs and concerns,” said VA Secretary David J. Shulkin.

“Since the initial launch of the
hotline in June, we listened to our Veterans, who indicated that they
prefer speaking with other Veterans and Veteran family members, and we
adjusted our hiring based on that feedback,” added Shulkin.

“We’re proud that the hotline is now
staffed 24/7 by a team of mostly Veterans or Veteran family members
who have direct knowledge of their particular concerns and can use
their experience to address them in the best way possible with the
resources of the VA. This represents a true win-win for Veterans and
their loved ones.”

Since 24/7 coverage began in October,
the hotline has served more than 10,000 callers.

Hotline agents answer inquiries,
provide directory assistance, document concerns about VA care,
benefits and services, and expedite the referral and resolution of
those concerns. Agents undergo regular updates and training on VA
services based on hotline trends and are assisted by newly implemented
tracking software to help VA capture and improve its response,
referral and resolution processes to best support Veterans.

The hotline can be accessed at 855-948-2311 and
is VA’s first non-clinical, non-emergency around-the-clock call
center. It provides Veterans a supplemental option to report issues if
they are not being addressed through VA’s normal customer service
channels.

The hotline’s agents are located at a
VA facility in Shepherds town, West Virginia. Agents have access to a
multitude of resources and contact information to help Veterans. The
hotline also generates real-time reports to VA experts who can help
address the specific issues of Veterans as well as make
better-informed decisions on where program improvements are needed.

“Merry Christmas...Thank You For Your Service” #14Contributed by Bonita Beck(For all those who have & are
protecting our freedoms in this GREAT LAND!)

A NEW CHRISTMAS POEM

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE
LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH
PRESENTS TO GIVE, AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I
DID SEE, NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS
FILLED WITH SAND, ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL
KINDS, A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS
DARK AND DREARY,I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I
COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT,
ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,THE ROOM IN
SUCH DISORDER, NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST
READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW
THIS NIGHT OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO
FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,THE CHILDREN
WOULD PLAY, AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF
THE YEAR,BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE
LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY
ALONE, ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY
EYE, I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A
ROUGH VOICE "SANTA DON'T CRY,THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE; I FIGHT FOR
FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY
CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO
SLEEP, I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND
STILL AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD,
DARK, NIGHT, THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A
VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY,
ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE
WAS RIGHT. "MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

*This poem was written by a Marine.
The following is his request. I think it is reasonable...PLEASE. Would
you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can?
Christmas will be coming soon, and some credit is due to our U.S.
service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let’s try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we
owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who
sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this
small seed.

You really did it again for
January...one more time; your Family, Friends and Classmates came
through - THANK YOU! Have a Happy New Year & a great January! We
will get back together in February 2018. Our thoughts & prayers
remain with all of our Classmates, Family & Friends who have suffered
from all of the fires in California.

I hope you gained some knowledge in
the way you are approaching your New Year's Resolutions?